Thursday, December 20, 2007

Carrot Halwa is one of the most popular desserts fromIndia. Even though carrot halwa is very popular inIndia, I was not aware of carrot halwa, until I was insixth or seventh grade. I first tasted carrot halwa,when one of my friends had brought carrot halwa, in herlunch box. I got hooked to carrot halwa.

I got the recipe from my friend, and that evening Imade carrot halwa. I started to make carrot halwaalmost every day for a couple of months! My mother always made sure there was enough carrots and milk for me to make carrot halwa.

I have been making carrot halwa for years. Even thoughcarrot halwa is traditionally made with dairy milk andbutter, it's very easy to veganize. I now make carrothalwa with soy milk and Earth Balance Margarine Natural Buttery Spread

Heat butter in a large saucepan, add grated carrot,and fry for 8 minutes or until the raw smell goes away.Now add soy milk and cook for about thirty minutes, oruntil there is no milk left in the saucepan. Now addsugar and almonds. Stir well, add raisins. Garnishwith pistachios.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Pista burfi, made with pistachios is a popular fudge in India. I always felt that the pista burfi, which we get in Indian stores had loads ofartifical color, so I never purchased them even before I was a vegan.

I decided to make pista burfi, when I saw one of thecomments by Majula in youtube's badam burfi video. Manjula says that pista burfi can be made by following the same procedure as badam burfi.

I really loved the nutty taste of this burfi. Iveganized the recipe by using water instead of dairymilk and Earth Balance instead of ghee(clarifiedbutter). With just a couple of ingredients you cancreate this delicious sweet.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Badam barfi is a very popular Indian sweet, whichoriginated from northern region of India.

I have tried many times to make Badam Burfi, but myBadam Burfi's always ended up looking like truffles.

Thanks to Youtube. I found a very talented lady,Manjula's video on making Badam Burfi. If you are not able to visit through this link, thengo to Youtube, and type, Manjula Badam Burfi in the search box.

I veganized the recipe. I used soy milk and EarthBalance, instead of dairy milk and ghee(clarifiedbutter). According to Manjula, the mixture should becooked for ten to twelve minutes, before pouring it tothe plate. For me, it took nearly twenty five minutesto reach that stage.

However, I was very happy with the results, as I couldfinally get square burfis!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

I love grainy textured cookies . Ever since I saw Maamoul cookies, Middle Eastern cookies, in Indira'sblog, I wanted to make those cookies.

I did not use the wooden maamoul mold, so the maamoulsare without the elegant design! I made maamouls byfollowing Indira's recipe. However, I veganized therecipe, by using the melted Earth Balance Margarine Natural Buttery Spread, instead of ghee(clarifiedbutter).

I just adored the wonderful taste and texture of thiscookie. I'm sure I will be making this often.

In a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan, combine rice andwater. Cook on low heat until the rice is done. Nowadd soy milk and jaggery. Mix thoroughly and cook onmedium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirringin-between, until the mixture becomes thick. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with cardamom powder.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Upma is one of the most popular breakfast items ofSouth India. Cream-of-wheat is known as sooji, andrava across India. Cream-of-wheat is also known assemolina.

There are many varieties of Upma. When vegetables suchas beans, carrots, peas are added to make upma, itbecomes masala upma. In restaurants in India, Upma isalways served with sheera, semolina based sweet dish.Then this two dishes are together known as chow-chowbaath.

Once the color of the dals changes, add red chillies,and chopped onion. Fry for a few minutes. You can alsoadd chopped tomatoes or any vegetables. Just make sureto increase the quantity of water if you are addingvegetables.

Now add water and once it starts boiling, reduce theheat. Now add salt and the semolina. Keep stirring sothat there are no lumps in the mixture.

Cook until there is no water in the mixture. Garnishwith cilantro or freshly grated coconut. Instead of red chillies or green chillies, you can also add jalapeno peppers ifyou want the upma to be spicy.

I love to eat upma with a dollop of Earth Balance Soy Garden Natural Buttery Spread and spicy lime pickle.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

I came to know that November to be a vegan month while visiting food blogs.

I guess many vegetarians and non-vegetarians will beexploring vegan cuisine during this month. Don't fretif you don't have a vegan cookbook. If you have accessto the internet, then within seconds you can find vastarray of vegan recipes.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

I love dates. And I also like cakes. When I saw Datecake, one of the most popular recipes in Shilpa'sblog, I wanted to try it.

I really don't remember the number of times I havebaked this delicious cake, from past couple of months.This is a very easy recipe to veganize. Just use soymilk ,instead of dairy milk. Like Shilpa,I also don't soak the dates, as I use seedless datesto make this cake. Once I used turbinado sugar to makeDate cake. The color of the cake was so beautiful!

I somehow could not manage to get a good picture ofthis delicious cake, even though I took numerouspictures. I wanted to frost this cake as I had tofutticream cheese. As I was frosting for the firsttime, with loads of excitement, I started frosting the cake when the cake was still warm. The frosting looked horrible, but it tasted great!

Don't judge this recipe by seeing the horrible pictureof the cake. Try this recipe, and I'm sure youwill be baking this cake often.

I'm submitting this recipe to (AFAM) A fruit a month hosted byChandrika of AkshayaPatra

Monday, November 5, 2007

I had been to the famed Chicago Diner last week with my husband. They have a wonderful array of vegetarianand vegan dishes. Every dish on their menu can beveganised.

I had Burritos and the filling was fried seitan. Thecheese which was made with nutritional yeast wasdelicious. I was in a state of bliss while eating thedelicious vegan fare - burritos and the mexican rice.

Jo Kaucher has been cooking vegetarian meals at the Chicago Dinerfor over 20 years and is the author of a popular cookbook -Chicago Diner Cookbook.

If you enjoy eating great food, then you should visit this restaurant when you are in Chicago. The Chicago Diner, 3411 N. Halsted Street, Chicago; 773-935-6696. Lunch, brunch, and dinner: Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Monday, October 29, 2007

These days everyone seems to be concerned about globalwarming. What we eat and drink every day, has a hugeimpact on our environment.

According to a report published by the United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization, the livestocksector generates more greenhouse gas emissions asmeasured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – thantransport. It is also a major source of land and waterdegradation.

Thriving on a vegan diet is the best option thesedays, as it reduces the generation of greenhousegases. And vegan diet is also great for health, as vegandiet is usually rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

These days, the supermarkets in United States areawash with diary and meat alternatives, so it is veryeasy to follow a vegan diet. The internet alsoprovides useful information - everything from recipesto tips , for vegetarians and vegans.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

I love chocolates. Chocolates make me happy. I guessthere are very few people in the world who are notfond of chocolates.

While growing up in India, for me, chocolate wassynonymous with Cadbury dairy milk. Cadbury dairy milkwas loaded with milk. I sometimes liked eating Amulchocolates, five star and kit kat.

In United States, I enjoyed eating Hershey'schocolates - Hershey's milk chocolate, Hershey'skisses, kit kat and Almond joy candy bar. I always assumedthat Pure Dark Chocolates, was used only for baking.

I decided not to consume anything with milk, when Ilearnt about the horrible tortures the diary cowsendure every day across the world. Visit this websiteto know why milk is bad for you and your family.

When I became vegan, I somehow could not findvegan chocolates in the supermarkets. Thanks to thewonderful vegan bloggers who gave me information aboutthe vegan chocolates, when I posted a post inquiringabout vegan chocolates.

I was thrilled to bits when I found some veganchocolates in some stores. I liked all the veganchocolates which I ate. Infact, the vegan chocolatestasted better than the chocolates drenched with milk.

Ghirardelli Twilght Delight, chocolate bar has 72%cocao. The firt time I tasted this chocolate, I didnot like it. And then I ate it again after a couple ofdays, I was pleasantly suprised when I liked thetaste. It was no longer bitter, but the taste of cocaowas addictive. I purchased this chocolate in awalgreen's store in Chicago. Visit Ghirardelli

Endangered Species Chocolate, Dark Chocolate withRaspberries, is my favorite vegan chocolate. Thischocolate with 70% cocoa is studded with dried sweetraspberries. This chocolate has now become my new -Cadbury dairy milk chocolate, which I relished while Iwas in India. I purchased this chocolate in Kroger'sin Detroit.

I also savored Dark chocolate with cranberries andalmond, which was also delicious.

I also love the fact that the Endangered SpeciesCompany donates 10% of net profits to help adorableanimals and the environment. Visit Endangered Species

Dagoba Organic Chocolate, was another chocolate which I ate recently. According to San Francisco Chronicle, this chocolate was “Best Dark Chocolate” a couple of years ago. Visit Dagoba

Scharffen Berger's, Bittersweet Pure Dark Chocolate was another divine chocolate which I ate a couple of days ago. Visit Scharffen Berger

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

I recently came across Kagome juice in Zerbo's - ahealth food store in Michigan. I purchased RubyPomegranate Harmony, a blend of juices - fruits and vegetables.

I felt as if I was drinking Dayquil, when I wasdrinking Kagome Ruby Pomegranate Harmony. I guess thetaste was bitter because sugar is not added to makethe juice.

Even thought the taste is not tasty, Kagome juicesare brimming with wide variety of phytonutrients andantioxidants, which is good for our health. If you like raw vegetable juices, I'm sure you will also like Kagome juices.

Friday, October 19, 2007

According to me, soya chunks is the most popular soyproduct in India. During my visit to India , I sawsoya chunks in almost all the grocery stores I visited,in cities such as Bangalore, Mysore and Hassan.

Recently I purchased soya chunks in an Indian grocerystore, in Michigan. Soya chunks is from Ruchi SoyaIndustries Limited. The package says, "100%vegetarian", even though it is also a vegan product.The word - vegan, is not a popular word in India.

I made Nutrela Matar Pasand, a gravy following therecipe on the soya chunks packet. It was a simplerecipe, but the taste was wonderful. I loved the tasteand texture of the soya chunks. The best part is it cooks in a couple of minutes

I ate soya chunksgravy with pooris made from whole wheat flour. You can also eat it with pita bread or rice.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

These days you can find numerous Indian food blogsbrimming on the internet. With a click of a mouse button,you can view delicious recipes and pictures from snacks to sweets from Kashmir toKanyakumari.

Asha of Foodie's hope recently hosted a blogging event- RCI Karnataka, and many food bloggers have posteddishes from Karnataka, a southern state of India.

Visit Foodies hope to view vibrant dishes ofKarnataka. Most of the recipes can be easilyveganized. Use vegetable oil or Earth Balance natural butteryspread if the recipe calls for ghee - clarifiedbutter.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

October 2, is a national holiday in India. MahatmaGandhi, considered as the father of nation, was bornon october 2, in India. This day is celebrated asGandhi Jayanti in India.

Prayers services, functions and seminars are heldacross India to mark Gandhi Jayanti. These functionsand seminars give Indians an occasion to understandGandhi's life and teachings.

October 2 is also World Farm Animals Day.The United Nations General Assemblyrecently decided to observe the International Day ofNon-Violence each year on October 2.

On this day, sale of meat is banned across India.Mahatma Gandhi always felt that animals should beprotected from torture and cruelty. Gandhi said: "Thegreatness of a nation can be judged by the way ittreats its animals."

Unfortunately, the condition of farm animals fromAustralia to Austria and from United States to Indiais pathetic. As there is enormous demand for the meatand dairy products across the world, farm animals aretreated just as machines.

According to the Humane Society of United States, onemillion animals are killed each hour for humanconsumption. Dairy cows are treated as milk makingmachines. Dairy cows are medicated, artificiallyinseminated and cows are kept continuously pregnant,to provide milk. According to Compassion Over Killing,more than 95% of eggs sold in the U.S. come frombirds confined in wire battery cages so small, theycan barely even move—a practice that, according torecent polls, most consumers find unacceptable.

Gandhi's views on Milk

Gandhi, in his book - Key to Health, states that "Milk is ananimal product and cannot be any means be included ina strictly vegetarian diet". Gandhi decided not toconsume cow's milk after he came to know about thecruel process of "phooka" or "doom dev" to increasethe production of milk in cows. "Phooka" or "doom dev"includes any process of introducing air or anysubstance into the female organ of a milch animal withthe object of drawing off from the animal anysecretion of milk.

Gandhi decided to consume goat's milk regularly, buthe always felt that getting used to drinking goat'smilk was a tragedy in his life. To know more about this,visit this website .

Gandhi's views on LeatherGandhi knew the art of tanning. Gandhi had made someleather sandals. How did Gandhi, who considered thatanimals have soul, used leather to make sandals?

Well, Gandhi used the hide of only dead animals to make leather products. AnuBandopadhyaya states in the book - Bahuroopee Gandhithat "Gandhi decided to use the hide of only thoseanimals that die a natural death. Shoes and sandalsmade from such leather became known as ahimsakchappals(non-violence chappals). It was easier totreat hides of slaughtered animals than the hides ofcarcasses and tanneries did not supply ahimsakleather: and Gandhi had to learn the art of tanning."Visit this website to know more about Gandhi.

Gandhi initiated the development of Khadi and VillageIndustries which gave employment to thousands ofpeople and everything was along the lines ofnon-violence, that is using only naturally deadanimals for making leather.

The Government of India and state governments arenow responsible for the development of Khadi and Village Industries. Ofcourse, the khadi and village industries is thriving,but they do not follow the concept of non-violencelaid out by Gandhi.

According to the Maharashtra government website, leatheris produced from the raw hides purchased fromslaughter-houses and raw hides of superior quality areimported from Bombay and other places. Visit this website to know more about leather.

Even though there is a ban on slaughter of cows inmost of the Indian states, India is a leading producerof leather.

The Concept of Veganism In India

Even though India is a vegetarian paradsie, it is verydaunting and challenging to be a vegan in India.

For thousands of years, Indians have used milk and milk products such as ghee, and buttermilk. Infact milk is synonymous with nutritious wholesome food. Many years ago, cows were treatedwell and the cows provided milk for the family.

However, there are has been a drastic change in the production of milk in India.

When I was growing up in Bangalore, the popular dairyin Bangalore - Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers'Federation Limited (KMF), had just milk, butter, andghee as its products. Recently, I was shocked at thearray of milk products from this dairy. Full creammilk, toned milk, cheese, flavored milk, and ice creamare some of the products from this dairy.

According to Peta, in India, "Cows and buffalos whoare raised for their milk are impregnated repeatedlyand are forced to live in hideous conditions. Most arechained by their necks in narrow stalls, unable tostretch or move normally. Lack of proper food causesthem to suffer from digestive problems, and lack ofexercise causes lameness. To force animals to produceunnaturally high amounts of milk, farmers feed growthand other hormones to cows. These hormones arereleased into the milk and consumed by people"Farmers and dairy owners regularly inject cows with oxytocin harmoneto increase the production of milk.

Thanks to Peta and other non-profit organizations suchas Sharan Project, which are exposing the horrificconditions of the diary and meat industry of India.Visit PetaIndia and Sharan Project

These days even in India, everything from cleaningproducts to cosmetics are brimming with animalproducts. Fortunately, you can find cruelty-freeproducts, in India. Visit Beauty Without Cruelty , to findcruelty-free products in India.

Ways to Reduce the Sufferings of the Animals in Developed Countries

These days especially in western countries, it ispossible to lead a life, which cause minimal harm tothe animals. Thanks to the increase in number ofpeople who oppose the animal cruelty in westerncountries, it is now possible to find numerous veganproducts, even in local supermarket.

Everything from cleaning products to cosmetics,without the cruel process of animal testing andwithout any animal product, is available in manysupermarkets. Visit Leaping Bunny to know more about cruelty-freeproducts.

These days you can find everything from wallets,handbags, jackets, shoes and sandals made withsynthetics, and plant-based materials. Visit this blog to know about the latest vegan items in the market.

Friday, September 28, 2007

When I saw a vegan omlette in one of my favorite blogs, I felt likemaking an Indian eggless omlette. Made from chickpeaflour, Indian eggless omlette not only tastes great, but it is also full of proteins.

Chickpea flour is used to make fritters such aspakoras and bajjis. This flour is also used to makepopular Indian sweets such as mysore pak and boondiladdu. Chickpea flour is also known as gram flour,chana flour, garbanzo bean flour. Chickpea flour isavailable in almost all the Indian grocery stores. In Hindi, it is known as "Besan".

Take the chickpea flour in a large bowl, add onion,dill, tomato, carrot and the spices. Add water andmake a thick batter.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-highuntil hot. Pour a ladleful of batter into the skilletand spread it around. Spread 1 tsp of oil on the topof the omlette, and cook for 3-4 minutes, and when theedges are dried out, flip over, and cook the otherside for 3-4 minutes.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

There was just one type of cupcake in Bangalorebakeries. Cupcake was also called as apple cake.Cupcakes in Bangalore bakeries are without thefrosting. So they are somewhat similar to muffin, but are called cupcake!

When I saw variety of muffins in a local bakery inUnited States, for the first time, I was overwhelmed.I loved muffins and always had store-bought muffins in my kitchen.

Once I became a vegan, I started baking muffins oncein a while because I no longer get eggless and dairy freemuffins in supermarkets. Recently, I made banana muffins followingthis recipe and the taste was superb.I used very ripe bananas to make the muffins.

To know more about history of cupcake, from an Indian standpoint,visit an Indian newspaper

Monday, September 24, 2007

Bele undi, steamed lentil dumplings, is one of myfavorite snacks. I often make this steamed dumplingsbecause the recipe does not require cooking oil.

I have not eaten these steamed dumplings inrestaurants in India. I remember eating these dumplingregularly in my home in Bangalore.

My mom always used fresh grated or finely choppedcoconut to do Bele undi. My mother also added some ground cinnamon and cloves to make it it spicier.Here, in United States, instead of coconut, I add carrot. This is pretty versatile dish, you can use various chopped greens orherbs such as spinach, parsley , mint or cilantro.

Bele undi, is made with chana dal - resembles yellowsplit peas. Chana dal is widely used in Indiancuisine. In southern India, chana dal is used to makevarious spice blends, gravies, and also sweets such aspuran poli. Vada - deep fried lentil dumplings , madefrom chana dal is a popular street snack in southIndia.

Chana dal is also known as Bengal Gram dal.

Chana dal is good for people with diabetes. Visitto know more about health benefits of chana dal.

Monday, September 17, 2007

K is for Kannada, a south Indian language which is mymother tongue. I love to view Kannada film songs inyoutube.

U is for urban. I feel that zoos which are present inthe urban setting are sort of a prison for animals. Iwish adults and kids don't visit zoos, so that all the zoos areforced to shut-down. Imagine tropical animals such aselephants living in zoos in countries with harsh coldclimate.

M is for Mulesing. For a very long time, I thoughtthat only leather caused pain and suffering for theanimals. Recently, I learnt that even wool causes alot of pain and suffering for the sheep. I decided notto buy wool after learning about muleasing, in whichhuge chunks of skin and flesh are cut from theanimals’ backsides, without any painkillers.

U is for Udupi. I like to visit ancient places. I wantto visit Udupi, a very popular town in Karnataka.Ialso would like to visit Ur, which according to somescholars, is world's first city.

D is for Date. I love dates. When I think of dates, Ithink of Iraq. I hope someday I can eat Iraqidates, which according to my parents are the tastiestdates in the world. Unfortunately, millions of datepalms in Iraq has been destroyed in the war.

H is for Health. I'm eternally thankful to PhysiciansCommittee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) for creatingawarness across the world in the arena of diet andnutrition. I think that the percentage of vegans isincreasing in many countries, because PCRM proves timeand again, that a plant-based diet is best for awell-balanced health by conducting numerousresearches.

A is for Animals. I don't adore animals, but I feelthat animals should be treated with some respect. Ithank PETA, for exposing the horrible conditions ofcows, pigs, sheep, goats and chicken in factory farmsacross the world. Thanks to PETA, these days it is soeasy to find everything from shampoo to cleaningproducts that does not contain animal products andwhich are not tested on animals.

Dada J. P. Vaswani, a popular religious leader says,"The 18th century gave rights to man, the 19th centurygave rights to slaves, and the 20th century has givenrights to women. The 21st century, I verily believe,will give rights to animals, and that will be aglorious day in the history of humanity. I believethere will be no peace on Earth unless we stop all killing."

Friday, September 7, 2007

I recently made spicy tofu with garam masala. Garammasala, a blend of spices, is commonly used inNorth Indian dishes. I made garam masala followingthis recipe . However, I used just 1 tbsp of cardamom seeds insteadof 2 tbsp of cardamom seeds to make garam masala powder.

I often make spice blends at home, because dishescooked with fresh spice blends tastes great, and also I love the aroma of spices when I dry toast the spices.

You can also use ready made garam masala powder, sold inIndian stores and some supermarkets to make this dish.

MethodHeat oil in a large skillet, add chopped onion, andsaute for 3-4 minutes.Add chopped bell pepper andsaute until the bell pepper becomes tender. Add thespices and tofu, saute until the tofu changes to light brown.Next add tomatoes, and cook for another couple of minutes until the tomatoes become very soft. Add salt, and garnish with cilantro.

Friday, August 24, 2007

I love sweets. I like to try new recipes once in a while. Recently, I saw pumpkin halwa in Mahanandi's blog. The rich color of the halwa was breathtaking and I decided to make it.

I made this halwa with soy milk following mahanandi'srecipe. However, I used vegetable oil to cook the grated butternut squash and used two and half cups of sugarinstead of two cups of sugar. During the final stage,the halwa did not turn into a solid firm mass within10-15 minutes according to the recipe. I guess because I added more sugar, the mixture took nearly an hour to become solid firm mass.

I tasted the halwa before keeping it in the freezer. It was like pudding and tasted great. It became nutty and chewy, when I kept it in the freezer. I liked both the version of the delicious sweet.

Even though Gandhi consumed goat's milk regularly, hewas not happy about it and strongly felt that humansshould not consume milk and milk products. Gandhiconsidered that getting used to goat's milk was atragedy in his life.

I wondered why Gandhi did not consume cow's milk, asmilk and milk products is widely used across India. It seems Gandhi came to know about thecruel process of "phooka" or "doom dev" to increasethe production of milk in cows. "Phooka" or "doom dev"includes any process of introducing air or anysubstance into the female organ of a milch animal withthe object of drawing off from the animal anysecretion of milk.

I was shocked because this incident took place nearlysix to seven decades ago. If the condition of milkproducing cows was so bad decades ago, the conditionof milk producing cows is horrible in India thesedays.

Cows are considered as sacred animals and theslaughter of cows is banned in numerous states acrossIndia. Most of the Indians feel that cows aretreated well by farmers.

Today, India is the largest producer of milk. Varietyof milk products, everything from icecreams toflovored milk can be found across India.Towns andcities across India are brimming with pizza joints.

According to Peta, "Some farmers in India illegallyinject cows with oxytocin, a powerful narcotic thatrequires a prescription and causes cows to producemore milk"

Thanks to Peta, the horrible conditions of diaryindustry in India is now exposed to the Indians.

To celebrate this great day,I made vermicelli payasam with soy milk. I followed this recipe.

Monday, August 13, 2007

In southern India, almost all the sweet stores willhave bright yellow mysore pak. Mysore pak is made fromchickpea flour, sugar and oil. At homes and in somefamous sweet stores, ghee is used instead of vegetable oil in the preparation of mysore pak.

I recently made mysore pak and it tasted great. Ifollowed Mahanandi's recipe, but used vegetable oil.Ialso roasted the chickpea flour until the raw smell ofthe flour vanished.

Another important factor is to make sure that thesugar syrup is of the right consistency before adding the chickpea flour.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Large cities across the United States have numerousvegetarian and vegan restaurants. Sometimes, it isjust not possible to visit some great restaurants.

When you're in a hurry, you are likely to visit thefast-food joint ,located across the street or in the airportlounge.

Recently I had been to Chicago with my husband, and Ihad the chance to eat Potbelly's vegan sandwich. We ordered the vegetrain sandwich, minus cheese, and mayonnaise. The sandwich was delicious with tangypeppers and with lettuce and mushrooms.

Even though the air around me was saturated withsmells of meat and cheese, I was happy eating my vegansandwich.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

For thousands of years yogis in India thrived on freshcow's milk and fruits.Fresh milk was consumed raw. Forme, when I think of yogi's food fresh milk and fruitscome to my mind.

Milk is considered to be the most nutritious food onthe earth by the yogis. Yogis hold cow's milk in highesteem , as cows are sacred animals to the hindus.

Yogis and gurus in ashrams across India still considermilk to be the most nutritious food. Of course, mostof the ashrams also keep cows and look after them wellfor many years, even after the cows no longer producesmilk. Some ashrams also have goshalas, whereabandoned and aged cows are cared for.

I guess Indians consider cow's milk to be very healthyfood because of the yogis and gurus who sometimesconsumed only milk for their daily food.No wonder thatmost of the Indian vegetarians are lacto-vegetarians.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

It is very easy to be a vegetarian in India. But, itcan be very challenging to be a vegan in India, asdiary alternatives are not widely available acrossIndia.

You can find soy beans and soy chunks in almost allthe stores - supermarkets and small local stores incities and towns. But you can find soy milk and tofuonly in supermarkets in cities such as Bangalore,Mumbai and Delhi.

Milk products such as yogurt and ghee(clarifiedbutter) is omnipresent in every Indian kitchen. Milkis supposed to be a very healthy drink.And desserts,known as sweets in India are always made with ghee ormilk in Indian homes.

I was thrilled when I recently came across awonderful website by Dr.Nandita Shah. Sharan is a non-profit organization dedicated to spread the concept of lovingnature - organic farming and veganism in India. Numerous vegan recipescan also be found in this website.Visit Sharan

Monday, July 23, 2007

Like most people I grew up loving the smooth luciousfabric - silk. I associated silk with luxury. And for my wedding, I was presented with numerous vibrant silksarees by my parents and in-laws.

And one fine day I learnt that thousands of silkwormsare boiled to produce silk.I felt sick when I readabout the cruel process of making silk. In short, silkkills. I decided not to buy silk which involvesthe cruel process.

I recently came across ahimsa(non-violence)silk, wheresilk worms are not brutally killed to make silk.Ahimsasilk has a wonderful range of great silk products suchas shawls, scarves and sarees. Visit Ahimsa Peace Silk

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I'm always excited whenever I shop for shoes, sandalsand purses. Once I became a vegan, I thought that Iwill face a long hard road shopping for shoes and sandals, as the mainstream market is brimming with items infused with an animal product - leather.

Recently, I came across Vegan Fashion Blog and was thrilled to find loads of wonderful veganshoes, sandals, purses, and accessories. This blog isunbelievable. I was thrilled to see a pleothra ofamazing cute vegan fashion items made with cruelty-free products.

The blog also has a forum where you can discuss everythingfrom vegan shoes to jackets.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

When I googled the phrase "vegan blog", 2,700,000 wasthe result - a whooping number of websites related toveganism.

There are a couple of vegan blogs which I religiouslycheck. Most of the wonderful vegan blogs brimming withvibrant vegan food pictures entice the websurfers tobecome vegan. And since most of the vegan food itemscan be easily purchased at the local supermarkets, itis really so easy to be a vegan in western countries.

Recently, I came across a vegan blog - Veg Blog, whichkeeps abreast with the latest happenings in the veganworld. Ryan MacMichael ,a prolific writer blogs in VegBlog.The blog also has a huge list of the bestresources about veganism and vegetarianism.

I'm sure both vegans and non-vegans will find loads of interesting and thought-provoking discussions in Veg Blog.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

While I along with my husband were in California acouple of months ago, we went to Thirupati Bhimas - avegetarian restaurant in Artesia, Los Angeles.

You can find many vegan options in Indianrestaurants.I came across a rice dish, Bagala bath onthe menu. I assumed it was made with eggplants, knownas Baingan in one of the Indian languages, Hindi.

I waited for my aromatic dish. As the waitress broughtmy dish, I realized that something was terribly wrong.The mound of rice was white as snow. I realized that itwas a spicy yogurt rice. I felt horrible.

The waitress was wonderful.When I told the waitressabout my confusion with words, she calmly listened .I now ordered rice pulao.The rice pulao came with a small bowl of yogurt mixed with chopped onions.

Yes, being a vegan is pretty challenging and daunting.It takes a lot of patience to order vegan food ineateries.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The number of vegans around the world would be veryhigh, if the percentage of vegan doctors ,dietitiansand nutritionists was high in our world.

For the vast majority of the population in the world,milk and its byproducts such as yogurt, ghee(clarifiedbutter), butter and butter-milk is considered healthyfoods. Since everyone from doctors to nutritionistsbelieve that milk is a healthy food, it is natural forpeople to consume loads of milk products to getcalcium, even though there are millions of peoplesuffering from milk allergy.

Fortunately, there is one non-profit organizationconsisting of doctors who fully agree that it ispossible to lead a healthy lifestyle by consuming onlyplant-based food.

It is indeed very easy to get all the nutrients ourbody needs from plant-based foods.

Well, I veganized this recipe. I substituted maplesyrup for jaggery(Unrefined sugar), and EarthBalance's soy garden buttery spred for ghee (clarifiedbutter).Jaggery is a wonderful healthy alternative tosugar and it is also a vegan food. I used maple syrup,because I love to use local ingredients.

I left out the milk and cardamom powder, but followedthe same procedures of Trupti's to make these delicious fudges.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

After becoming a vegan, I'm not able to find vegancookies in regular supermarkets and bakeries.

During my visit to Long Beach California, last month,Icame across some cookies near the cash register ,in arestaurant.

I found out that these cookies were vegan.Vegan cookies made by Alternative Baking Company wassuperb.I ate Double Chocolate Decadence cookie and myhusband ate Luscious Lemon Poppyseed.My husband whonormally does not like packaged cookie, was greatlyimpressed by these huge cookies.

The cookies were soft and chewy, and it was hard tobelieve they were made without eggs and milk.Youshould be able to find to find these cookies in veganand vegetarian restaurants in california.

Well, you don't have go to California to enjoy thesedelicious cookies.You can savor these deliciouscookies in the comfort of your home by orderingonline. You can order these cookies online at Alternative Baking website.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Palak Paneer is a very popular dish from northernsates of India. Pureed spinach with cubes of cottagecheese taste wonderful with naan or chappathi(wheatbreads of India)

I use extra firm tofu instead of paneer while making Palak Paneer.I recentlycooked palak paneer following the recipe fromMahanandi.Visithttp://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2005/06/06/palak-paneersag-paneerfor the recipe.

This dish was very nice, especially with chappathis.You can also eat with pita bread.

Mahanandi has loads of wonderful Indian vegetarianrecipes . Many dishes can be easily veganized.If youlove spicy and vibrant dishes, you should visit Mahanandi.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Here in United States, I find guavas in Indian stores. Unfortunately the guavas look pale and dry, and so I don't buy them.

I recently came across a unusual sweet - Guava Paste Rolls in Trader Joe's.The guava rolls made with guava paste, sugar , and citric acid is wonderful. Eating these sweet rolls felt as if I was munching the real guava. They were fabulous!

I love to visit Trader joe's. Visit them online at http://www.traderjoes.com